“The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people’s reality, and eventually in one’s own.” — Susan Sontag, On Photography

It is 17:21 p.m. on Reeperbahn and

 

I’m far from romanticizing

 

its false cheap glamour vulgar commercialism but

 

Reeperbahn’s incidental poetry insistent reminder

 

base desires are valid

 

life is terminal

 

we are in transit

 

meaning is fleeting

 

so where will it all end

 

in the grave

 

S 1

 

S 3

 

S 2

 

***

Lecker!

 

SUSIS SHOW BAR

 

(”Do not vex me, oh temptress!” — E.C.)

 

***

31

 

SEX FILME

 

1.- 2.- 5.-

 

IN

 

JEDER KABINE

 

KINO 3 SPEZIAL

 

***

 

When he was in Hamburg last year, member Gabriel Dubois (http://www.artdoxa.com/users/myobelisk/artworks/6712) left his mark right here on the corner of Reeperbahn and Budapester Strasse…

***

Picturesque garbage… resplendent in its diversity… click on the image and take a close look…

***

LOWER SPIELBUDENPLATZ READOUT:

 

IPod nano-chromatisch

 

Sex Kino

 

64 Programme

 

EROTIK MIT LIFESTYLE

 

Liebeszimmer

 

Klimatisiert

 

Filme täglich

 

neu und alt im

 

Großbild-Format

 

Homo-Kino

 

Playrooms

 

Darkrooms

 

Peep-Holes

 

Gay-Cruising

 

DVD

 

Sexy Boys

 

Duo-

 

Voyeur-

 

Kontakt-

 

Pärchen-

 

Solo-Kabinen

 

West

 

B

 

I

 

L

 

L

 

A

 

R

 

D

 

S

 

A

 

L

 

O

 

N

21 Tische

 

MEANIE BAR MOLOTOW SEXY HEAVEN hörsaal

 

Das Herz von St.Pauli RESTAURANT HUNDERTMARK WESTERN STORE

 

CAFÉ BAR HOTEL

 

TOYS

 

BOOKS

 

CD-ROM

 

VIDEO

 

DESSOUS

 

MAGAZINE

 

EROTIK MIT LIFESTYLE

 

…

Trink

 

C o c a - C o l a

 

LOONIES

 

L O O N I E S

 

***

HOLSTEN - WOK JIN - HOLSTEN

 

A S I A T I S C H E S P E Z I A L I T Ä T E N

 

***

PENNY… W I R S I N D F Ü R S I E D A…! PENNY

Montag - Samstag

7.oo - 23.oo Uhr

Sonn- und Feiertags 10oo - 23oo Uhr

***

HEADSHOP

 

BIGGY’S

 

TAXI

 

a flight from a

 

very high window onto

 

very hard pavement

 

takes only seconds

 

you don’t need a ticket just

 

a fair dose of despair

 

HEADSHOP

 

BIGGY’S

 

TAXI

 

***

I dream of broken glass

 

of stumbling into barbed wire

 

as fiendish surgeons

 

come closing in

 

with their pliers and pincers

 

***

Grainy dank nightfall… ZOOM!

Let’s call it a day…

I wish everyone a good night!

Toodle-oo!

***

Peter Bies © 2009

***

“But to-morrow I die, and to-day I would unburthen my soul.” — Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat

I shall not speak to hallow

the poppy road in bloom

my mind is bleak and shallow

my soul

wallows in gloom

so every other sunset

I crave a toxic flash

I pray for instant onset

of acid opium hash

pink bubbles blur my vision

I close my eyes in pain

takes but a small incision

to heal my haunted brain

I feel the world turn inward

imploding as it grows

mental disintegration

bliss

of an overdose

although I sense the damage

I cannot feel regret

to dream in my own image

to drown in my own sweat

spine frozen to the ceiling

blue lips voice soundless words

corruption of my cortex

my reptile brain

stirs

house of the silent people

no pictures on the walls

no shadows in the twilight

no more unwanted calls

indifference my religion

no reason to complain

no faith or superstition

no guilt, remorse

nor pain.

Peter Bies © 2009

“Psychosoziale Station Fünf”

***

So… I’m back.

Um… this is going to be rather personal, I guess, but there it is…

I spent a very relaxing, very soothing couple of weeks in voluntary protective custody.

In the caring, benevolent surroundings of Station PS 5 …

***

“Altona 93 - Kick Fascism”

***

Hey - I wanted to be there!

The image above, that’s my room number.

(Note the stamp-sized AFC Altona 93 sticker some previous patient has left there!)

***

The Chapel Perilous… “Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.” - Steven Wright

***

When you feel depressed, this can be a temporary solution only.

I should have known.

***

Zentrum für Psychosoziale Medizin in Hamburg-Eppendorf… back in the seventies, they knew how to build loony bins!

***

Don’t underestimate the healthy and beneficial effects of a controlled environment!

***

Two “hits”…

***

Not to mention my daily dose of Oxazepam.

And proper counselling into the bargain!

***

This is the head nurse’s office…

***

She is, in fact, a very nice person.

This looks creepy, nonetheless.

Looks just like something straight out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, doesn’t it…?

***

As a matter of fact, the patients are not supposed to take any pictures of the ward…

***

But I just couldn’t resist.

Although everything here looks pretty bland and nondescript and hardly worth taking pictures of.

I didn’t take any pictures of my fellow patients, naturally.

***

Peter Bies - Assemblage “Vichy” (2009)

***

And this is my… ah… sick bed, so to speak.

The objet d’art on the bed:

I made this piece during Ergotherapie (occupational therapy).

Svelte, isn’t it?

Took me about twenty minutes.

After that, I spent the best part of the session chatting with the New Age hippie therapist who’s doing a really good job there.

You know what I like best about the ward?

Nobody wants to sell you anything.

Except, of course, for the young interns.

***

Here’s a good one:

“That terrible mood of depression of whether it’s any good or not is what is known as The Artist’s Reward.” — Ernest Hemingway

***

Oh it’s lunchtime already…

Bye for now!

Peter

***

“Nurse!”

Peter Bies © 2009